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Reposted by James Montague

James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

12 years ago I interviewed a referee that spun my head. Did the US nobble Word Cup qualification so its enemies didn’t qualify for USA ‘94? Well, I tried to find out. Episode 1 of Shadows on the Pitch for @bbc5live.bsky.social is out now www.bbc.com/audio/series...

bbc.com

BBC Audio | Sport's Strangest Crimes | Shadows on the Pitch

Listen to the latest episodes of Sport's Strangest Crimes | Shadows on the Pitch on BBC Audio

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Reposted by James Montague

James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

The updated paperback edition of Engulfed is out now. So much has happened in the past year. The Infantino/Trump bromance, the peace prize, the Iran War, the end of LIV Golf. Newcastle winning a trophy. And Yasir Al Rumayyan handing one out at the World Cup final. www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1785...

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James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

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James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

bbc.com

BBC Audio | Sport's Strangest Crimes | Shadows on the Pitch

Listen to the latest episodes of Sport's Strangest Crimes | Shadows on the Pitch on BBC Audio

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Tariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Obviously nothing to do with this, but while you’re here, here’s our investigation into the FIFA president’s curiously close relationship with Donald Trump that was published yesterday. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/09/w...

nytimes.com

A Yearslong Effort to Woo Trump Culminates With the World Cup

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Please excuse me from gym @excusemefromgym.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

No idea why Tuchel is getting all the hate over his squad selection. Toney's experience playing in half-empty stadiums under an authoritarian regime could prove invaluable.

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Berna Devezer @devezer.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

"Turkish local broadcaster TRT Haber reported that students will continue their education at Mimar Sinan University, the guarantor state university." except MSU doesn't have an engineering or law college, to begin with, nor the capacity to serve 20K more students.

aljazeera.com

Turkiye shutters liberal Istanbul university seized in criminal probe

Council of Higher Education promised to take measures to ensure Bilgi University students 'suffer no harm'.

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NY International FC @nyintfc.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Although Andreas’ head is now shaved, there is still time to sponsor team Rivercrest & make an impact. Every 2 mins a child is diagnosed with cancer. Help fund the research that will save their lives! www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage... @protagonistsoccer.bsky.social @jamespiotr.bsky.social

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Sam Kunti @samindrakunti.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

Infantino wants the photo op. Rajoub not keen.

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JosimarFootball @josimarfootball.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Enough footballers were killed by the Iranian Islamist regime in the space of forty-eight hours in January to make up two full teams. Fifa’s response? Silence. By Zohreh Abdollahkhani josimarfootball.com/2026/03/05/s...

josimarfootball.com

Silent slaughter - josimarfootball.com

Enough footballers were killed by the Iranian Islamist regime in the space of forty-eight hours in January to make up two full teams. Fifa’s response? Silence.

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Cas Mudde @casmudde.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Tomorrow we will discuss "ultras" in my "Soccer and Politics" course. The students will listen to my interview with @jamespiotr.bsky.social - which was the first episode of my podcast RADIKAAL. It was the perfect start (although, fortunately, the sound quality improved over the years).

buzzsprout.com

1. James Montague on Ultras - RADIKAAL

My first guest is the British football writer James Montague, the award-winning author of four books, including When Friday Comes: Football, War and Revolution in the Middle East and Thirty-One Nil: O...

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Sindre Myhre @sindremyhre.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Denne vart bestilt etter besøk og foredrag med James Montague på Bergen Bibliotek for 2 veker sidan, i dag kom den i postkassa @jamespiotr.bsky.social @challa1.bsky.social

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Challa @challa1.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

Ballen er vår! Ny serie på biblioteket. Foredrag om Saudi-Arabia og Ultras med @jamespiotr.bsky.social 5. og 6. februar og @aselliaas.bsky.social om Det farlige spillet 24. mars. Flere show kommer. Kom?

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Frank Elbers @franckelbers.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Mijn interview met de vermaarde voetbaljournalist @jamespiotr.bsky.social. We spraken o.a. over zijn nieuwe boek "Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World". Het volledige interview verschijnt komende maand in @panenkanl.bsky.social. www.indehekken.net/interview-me...

indehekken.net

Interview met voetbaljournalist James Montague

De Engelse voetbaljournalist James Montague schrijft over voetbal, politiek en samenleving. Hij is de auteur van bestsellers als When Friday Comes: Football Re

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Tariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Crystal Palace officially appeal to CAS pushing to be reinstated into Europa League at the expense of either Nottingham Forest (who were bumped up to replace them by UEFA) or John Textor’s other team, Lyon.

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Reposted by James Montague

George E. Osborn @georgeosborn.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

Thanks to both the @esportsworldcup.bsky.social and @jamespiotr.bsky.social for contributing to this week’s Memo, which I think is well worth a read

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Reposted by James Montague

Musa Okwonga @okwonga.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

Nazis especially visible in my part of Berlin at the moment. Shaven heads and Helly Hansen tracksuit tops (HH for Heil Hitler); Ellesse tracksuit tops (worn so they can show off the SS symbol). It’s wild how in some German towns this is as natural a part of youth culture as hip-hop is in the US.

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JosimarFootball @josimarfootball.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

A message from @philippeauclair.bsky.social The reality we at Josimar face is stark. Should we fail to raise 50 000 euro by 1 July, the world’s only investigative media dedicated solely to football will cease to exist. josimarfootball.com/2025/06/03/a...

josimarfootball.com

A letter from Philippe Auclair - josimarfootball.com

The reality we at Josimar face is stark. Should we fail to raise € 50k by 1 July, the world's only investigative media dedicated solely to football will cease to exist.

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James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

Last yr I turned on the TV in my Riyadh hotel. A Saudi 3rd div game was on & a team called NEOM was playing. It sparked a journey that uncovered a plan to build the biggest club in the world from scratch. An extract from my book “Engulfed”: @theathletic.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/632...

nytimes.com

Visiting NEOM, the new Saudi superclub built to rule all others before the 2034 World Cup

James Montague visited the kingdom to find out more about a club being geared up to take on the world

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John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 15/05/2025

NEW with @simonkuper.bsky.social: The prevailing narrative around increased injuries and player workload in elite football is wrong. Players don’t play any more football than in the past. What has changed is a sharp rise in intensity of play. Not more minutes, but each minute exerts more load.

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Angry People in Local Newspapers @apiln.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

Nominative determinism hard at work on this one.

BBC News: Surgeon invents plastic-reducing urine collection pot
Caption: Urologist Nick Burns-Cox from Somerset Hospitals
NHS Trust and his team

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Reposted by James Montague

Sam Kunti @samindrakunti.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

It's lunchtime and we have already been kicked out of the FIFA hotel. Meanwhile, 5000 security personnel, including the army and tanks, have been deployed in Asunción to safeguard the 'football family'. All totally normal.

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Reposted by James Montague

Tariq Panja @tariqpanja.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Leon’s appeal against being booted out of Club World Cup for having same owners as Pachuca has failed. So FIFA’s plan for Club America to play off against LA FC will now determine 32nd team. That place should be LA’s but Club America is popular and FIFA needs to shift tickets to the meritocratic CWC

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Ayla Albayrak @aylushka.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

Happening in Turkey: Saturday morning wave of police operations against politicians and officials, tens of people have been detained in Istanbul, Ankara and Tekirdağ in Western Turkey tr.euronews.com/2025/04/26/i...

tr.euronews.com

İBB'ye yeni operasyon: İSKİ Genel Müdürü dahil 47 kişi gözaltında

Polis ekipleri sabah saatlerinde İstanbul, Ankara ve Tekirdağ'da çok sayıda adrese eş zamanlı baskınlar düzenledi. İBB'de üst düzey yöneticilerin de aralarında bulunduğu gözaltı kararı verilen 53 kişi...

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Reposted by James Montague

Andrew Couts @couts.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

NEW: In the latest episode of the YouTube series I host, @lhn.bsky.social joins me to get into the nitty gritty of surveillance against protesters and steps you can take to protect yourself: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL34...

youtube.com

How Governments Spy On Protestors—And How To Avoid It | Incognito Mode | WIRED

YouTube video by WIRED

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Reposted by James Montague

Andreas Selliaas @aselliaas.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Litt lavbluss her for tiden (noe jeg kommer tilbake til), men jeg har i hvert fall lest en bok, som jeg anbefaler på det sterkeste. Den er det @jamespiotr.bsky.social som har før til pennen. idrettspolitikk.no/2025/04/15/s...

idrettspolitikk.no

«Slukt av Saudi-Arabia» - Idrettspolitikk

BOKANMELDELSE: Den anerkjente og prisvinnende journalisten James Montague har skrevet en svært god og viktige bok om Saudi-Arabias erobring av idretten. Den er opplysende skremmende og gir et unikt in...

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Reposted by James Montague

Bobeto @bobeto.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

Late to this, but glad to see @jamespiotr.bsky.social fighting the good fight, explaining the why & how of Saudi money in sport. (note: it's a source of unending wonder to me that in 2025 it's genuinely necessary to explain wahhabism in a sports podcast). www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AMa...

youtube.com

Why Saudi Arabia is buying sport

YouTube video by Tifo Podcast

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Reposted by James Montague

James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

The Masters are on, but there's a hidden contest: LIV Golf v the PGA Tour. Here's a video from my new book for Tifo Sports, about the Saudi golf takeover & the resulting uncivil war. Feat: the PIF, McIlroy, Mickelson going rogue, Woods, a $850m deal plus Donald Trump. m.youtube.com/watch?v=3wh8...

m.youtube.com

How Saudi Arabia Bought Golf

YouTube video by Tifo Sports by The Athletic

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James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

m.youtube.com

How Saudi Arabia Bought Golf

YouTube video by Tifo Sports by The Athletic

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NUFC Fans Against Sportswashing @nosauditoon.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

@jamespiotr.bsky.social gives unique insights on the history of Saudi football, the Vision 2030 project, and how Newcastle United's takeover fits into the larger picture. shows.acast.com/it-was-what-...

shows.acast.com

Did Saudi Arabia Buy Sport? Soft Power, Newcastle and Jimmy Hill! | It Was What It Was : The Football History Podcast

The football history podcast, brought to you by The Overlap

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shaunwilson71 @shaunwilson71.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

Another very enjoyable visit to @bookcornershop.bsky.social in Saltburn. Looking forward to reading these two new books from @danielgraywriter.bsky.social and @jamespiotr.bsky.social

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Second Captains @secondcaptains.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

James Montague is back to discuss his new book about the astonishing scale and scope of Saudi Arabia’s sports investment and the unlikely rise to power of its instigator, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman @jamespiotr.bsky.social secondcaptains.com/2025/03/28/e...

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06jank.bsky.social @06jank.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

The arrested Mayor of Istanbul's lawyer has now also been detained by police

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James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Always love going on Football weekly, this time to talk about my new book Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport and the Word…

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James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

This is tonight, if you are in London …

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International Press Institute (IPI) @globalfreemedia.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

#Turkey: Journalists attacked by police & detained after formal charging of Istanbul Mayor. IPI condemns Turkish govt's systematic efforts to obstruct journalists' work & restrict public access to information of huge public interest. 👉Read our statement: buff.ly/dRknKk2

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The Sweeper Podcast @sweeperpod.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

🆕 NEW EPISODE OUT NOW 🆕 🇸🇦 Trillion-dollar club in the second tier 📗 @jamespiotr.bsky.social on 'Engulfed' 🇧🇦 Bosnia's champs who feel Serbian 🇫🇴 Fierce wind, subsea tunnels & clean sweeps 🇧🇬 Minute's silence for a living player Listen ⬇️ 🍎 Apple: bit.ly/AppleSweeper 🟢 Spotify: bit.ly/SpotifySweeper

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Monica Marks @monicamarks.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Turkey’s new Kurdish opening is accompanied by an even fiercer closure of democracy. Today, as PKK leader Ocalan is expected to announce disarming, prominent Turkish journalist Nevsin Mengu was sentenced to 1 yr 3 mos of prison. Her crime? Interviewing Syrian Kurdish PYD leader Salih Muslim.

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James Montague @jamespiotr.bsky.social · 22/02/2025

I have a new book out! Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World, published March 27th by @blinkbooks.bsky.social It’s about a county undergoing incredible change, about ambition, manipulation and, most importantly, power. And sport is at the centre of it all. geni.us/EngulfedHB

geni.us

Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World

Buy Engulfed: How Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World by Montague, James (ISBN: 9781785121609) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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